Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – As Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams spoke on Tuesday about the firing of head coach Don Granato, you could tell it was an emotional decision.
Adams opened his comments by saying while Granato is an excellent coach, he's an even better person. He also feels the Sabres are further along now than they were three-and-a-half years ago when Granato took over, and I’d agree with that.
Despite that, Adams felt the decision to move on from Granato was the right thing to do to for the organization to take the next step.
"This was my decision," said Adams on Tuesday, making it crystal clear on who made the coaching decision. "I certainly talk to people that I’m close with and that I work with, and I’ve spent a lot of time recently talking to [owner] Terry Pegula, but this was my decision. I felt this is what I needed to do to take the next step."
Adams was agitated throughout the entire press conference on Tuesday, but he was also blunt and honest with his answers. I think fans needed to see how angry he is about this past season, because they are too.
When it comes to the way the Sabres underperformed this year, Adams felt it wasn't just on the coaches. It also falls on the players, as well as himself in the front office.
Adams says he didn’t think his team was competing at a high enough level game-in and game-out, and that their standard needs to be higher.
"We are craving accountability and structure, and I think the team is ready for that," Adams said. "With the next coach we get, it’ll be at the top of the list for me."
That was never there, because players generally weren’t held accountable when they made the same mistakes over-and-over.
One instance Tuesday when Adams got extremely angry was relating to Granato talking for the last two years about pressure getting to some of these players.
"You don’t get to the National Hockey League without handling pressure. That is the most ridiculous thing that I could ever hear someone say, that guys can’t handle pressure. That’s what you do for a living. It’s how you get here. That’s nonsense," Adams said emphatically.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
I thought Granato’s constant comments on how players couldn’t handle the pressure of this, that or the other just gave guys an out, and he was coddling them. He was always talking about how they were having trouble performing because of the pressure of their contracts or the pressure of the race.
I've been saying that all season, and I'm glad Adams noticed it too.
So now what will Adams be looking for in the next head coach of the Sabres?
Three names that came to mind for me were New York Rangers assistant coach Michael Peca, Denver University head coach David Carle, who won two NCAA Championships and coached Team USA to the Gold Medal in January at the World Junior Championship, and Rochester Americans head coach Seth Appert.
After listening to Adams' vision for the next Sabres head coach, none of those candidates would qualify.
"I want the next head coach to be someone that has [NHL] experience, and that can push this group to the next level," Adams said. "I have it in my mind exactly what I’m looking for, and I have a very clear direction in my mind."
That would send my thoughts to Craig Berube, Lindy Ruff and Rod Brind’Amour, should he become available this offeason.
Adams says he will be leaning on Pegula, associate general manager Jason Karmanos and assistant general manager Mark Jakubowski in his search for a new head coach.
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Adams agreed that this team has to be harder to play against, which, in turn, will make it miserable to play in their arena.
"We want to be harder to play against, compete harder with physicality. I want this building to be really, really hard to come into," he said. "You’ve got to win at home, and if you want to be a playoff team, you need to be a good home team. This building, I know it’s capable of rockin’, and I know it’s capable of having a true home ice advantage. I can’t wait for that to happen."
We heard a lot this season about the team not being competitive in certain games. Adams says that starts in practice, which eventually carries into game action.
"Sometimes this year, I saw that we’re going to show how skilled we are, and that was the lead. I think we had it sometimes out of order. Let’s compete first, and let your talents go from there," Adams explained.
Mike Bales, Matt Ellis and Marty Wilford all remain with the Sabres, but Adams wouldn’t say if they’ll remain on the coaching staff when the new head coach is hired.
